Skeptical.
Iíll admit it, Iím beyond dubious when I hear about plans to take 2D
movies and hitch them to the 3D bandwagon. How could a film made decades
ago, that was never planned by its director or cinematographer to be
thrust into the laps of its audience, make a seamless transition?
Disneyís second foray into computer-generated animation was 1991Ďs
Beauty and the Beast. The combination of their classic hand-drawn
techniques with pixilated flourishes added a depth and movement not seen
in previous features. Never before have those differences been as
significant or as breathtaking as in this re-release; the translation
into the 3D medium brings out the amazing step forward this film was in
the evolution of Disney animation.

A telling of the French fairy tale (with a healthy dose of Jean
Cocteauís superlative 1946 live action masterpiece thrown in),
Disneyís Beauty and the Beast is the story of a prideful prince brought
low by a vengeful witch who curses him to look and live like a hideous
animal. Like an hourglass, the falling petals of a wilting magical rose
tick away his chance at achieving humanity; Beastís only hope of
redemption is to find true love. Thanks to his fur-covered mug and
ferocious temper, thereís not exactly a queue of ladies lining up for
this prince and it seems heís fated to live in a skin not his own for
the rest of his days. Away from these evil enchantments, a young girl
dreams of life beyond the small town of her birth. Belle cares only for
her books and learning, and for her scatterbrained inventor father,
Maurice. Her academic and adventurous yearnings isolate her from her
neighbours, who donít understand why she simply wonít settle down with
Gaston, the prize of the village. Belle sees Gaston for what he is; a
fatheaded blowhard who doesnít give a fig for what Belle wants, sheís
only the master huntsmanís latest quarry. Every day in the village is
the same, until Belleís father is waylaid on a journey to another town
which finds him lost in the woods and fleeing for his life from hungry
wolves. The old man finds himself outside a set of castle gates, which
magically open and allow him to hide from the elements. Unfortunately,
no one told the landlord about this new boarder and Belleís father is
imprisoned by the Beast. When their horse arrives home without Maurice,
Belle runs to the castle in pursuit. In the face of the snarling
monster, Belle bravely trades her life for her fatherís to remain a
prisoner in the luxurious castle where all the furniture and
accommodations are enchanted. Sheís waited upon by Beastís servantís; a
tightly-wound butler in the form of a clock called Cogsworth, a jolly
teapot cook called Mrs. Potts, and a dashing candlestick valet called
LumiŤre. LumiŤre is determined to get his master to woo the frightened,
feisty Belle into falling for the prince in disguise before all the rose
petals have wilted. Can Beast tame his fierce nature and charm Belle?
Will Belle see through his monstrous exterior to the kind heart
underneath in time?

Watching Beauty and the Beast so long after seeing it for the first time
eons ago canít help but make one realise how much this film and its
stunning soundtrack (by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, who
previously gave life to the world of The Little Mermaid) is indelibly
embedded in the consciousness. It was a blessing of sorts to know so
much of the screenplay and what would happen next, so I could truly soak
in the details and differences made by the 3D transition. The conversion
succeeds beautifully in immersing the viewer into the animation. Moments
that one might suspect would translate well into 3D do so beyond
expectations: Belleís ride on a ladder across the racks of the bookshop
with her arm outstretched, the sweep of Belleís yellow gown as she and
Beast waltz in the ballroom and the chandeliers dizzyingly high
overheard, the harrowing scenes of the climatic showdown between Beast
and Gaston on the castle turrets could give one vertigo. Of course, the
showstopping musical production number, Be Our Guest, is hardly in need
of improvement, but the Busby Berkeley-style choreography is somehow
even more joyous and charming with the cutlery flying at your head. Even
the voluptuous Greek chorus trio of Tex-Avery-inspired barmaids jiggle
more emphatically in stereoscopic vision. The effect only adds to the
film and subtracts nothing, which allayed my big fear: Why would one
gild a lily, or in this case a rose like Beauty and the Beast? This
reissue only shows off that rose against a new and more involving
backdrop.

The only drawback may have been for the small children in the audience
who seemed to have a much harder time watching the movie than the kids I
remember from back when. I donít know whether the 3D component made it
worse or are kids just easier to scare these days? During the initial
chase of Belleís father by the wolves and his entry into Beastís castle,
one small fry wailed his lungs out for a good ten minutes. Similar
sniffles could be heard when Beast yelled at Belle for going into the
wing she was specifically forbidden to enter, then again when the
townspeople decide to raid the castle and save Belle. Perhaps it wasnít
only the 3D aspect, but seeing the film on a proper movie-sized screen,
as opposed to watching it at home on DVD was all too much? Then again
whatís a childhood without being traumatised at least once by a Disney
cartoon? Theyíll live.

Itís hard to imagine anyone not having seen the film before, but it
would be remiss of me to omit Beauty and the Beastís qualities outside
of this 3D transfer. I will contend to my dying breath that there really
is a difference between hand-drawn animation and even the best CGI that
goes beyond what the eye can comprehend. The character designs, colours
and backgrounds all bear the handmade magic, depth and texture that
simply cannot be programmed. Artistically, Beauty and the Beast is at
the top of the Disney canon. The movieís supporting characters are some
of the best in any Disney film, which is remarkable as they are all
furniture. LumiŤre is still the love-crazy standout and Be Our Guest is a
little poignant when one realises the amazing Jerry Orbach, who gave
LumiŤre such vivid life is no longer with us. Thinking of the voice
acting, itís still startling after all this time to recall that the
soft-spoken 70ís teen idol Robby Benson clearly shared his vocal cords
with a demon to create the inimitable roar and perpetual growl of the
transfigured Beast. Itís one of the best voice portrayals ever recorded.
The script and songs are often slyly hilarious in a way closer to the
anarchy and subversion of Warner Brothers cartoons, like LumiŤreís sure
relation to that other animated amorous Frenchman (-skunk?), Pepe le
Pew, the audacious lyrics to ďGastonĒ celebrating the lunkheaded manís
boorishness, body hair and spitting ability, and a castle invader being
swallowed by Belleís armoire and ejected in full drag. Still relevant is
the filmís gentle message to girls about staying true to themselves even
when it seems no one understands them. The recommendation for men to try
a little tenderness in matters of the heart canít be heard enough. The
romance between Belle and Beast is so true and sweetly crafted,
grown-ups canít help but feel a frisson of misgiving when the human girl
begins to have feelings that are ďa bit alarmingĒ for her monstrous,
furry captor. When Belle learns that the townspeople are persecuting her
father, Beastís selflessness in letting her go back home, knowing the
magical rose has nearly wilted and his time to reclaim his humanity is
almost up is heartbreaking and heroic. Itís a perfect film.

I suspect the sweeping computer-generated panoramas and depth of field
already in place in the original issue was a big help in deciding what
to accentuate in this reengineering. The 3D-ification of Beauty and the
Beast feels more like a natural step forward and not at all a gimmicky,
clumsy or foisted-upon conversion. Nothing is taken away and this 3D
reissue makes the filmís brilliance even easier to appreciate; the movie
is more beautiful and timeless than it ever was.